USAAF HB-7 HEADSET

[jonesy]

Gents,

What's the going rate on a HB-7 headset in a used condition, complete with original rubber cups?

Cheers,
Neil.

[Tom E. Gunn]

I've got a few of these. Prices have crept up and they aren't as easy to find as they once used to be. A ball park figure would be anywhere between £50 > £60 ( $80 > $95) depending upon condition etc. If you're thinking of buying the one pictured above, it looks about as good as you'll get.

[jonesy]

Ian, unfortunately the one pictured is just for referance. That is a nice looking one indeed.

I've managed to get one off Ebay for £25. It's complete with the red jack plug where the leather head band has a lovely used patina. Unfortunately shipping added another £10 onto it otherwise it would have been a massive bargain. This is the actual one which I've bought.

Neil.

[Tom E. Gunn]

You got a bargain there Neil. Mine happen to be very minty. The first set I had had the typical grey sponge cushions which have gradually perished with the passage of time! They are now like sticky donuts!! So, I replaced them with ones like yours. I'm sure mine would actually work if I plugged them in!

[Tom E. Gunn]

Here you go...

[jonesy]

Looks great especially on the mannequin head.

[Tom E. Gunn]

Looks great especially on the mannequin head.

Thanks Neil. Did you get yours from eBayUK or eBayUS? If it was UK, £10 seems quite expensive for postage!

"Nadolig Llawen!"

Ian 

[jonesy]

Coming from Canada.

Nadolig Llawen i ti hefyd.

[Nige1940]

You did good jonesy , Your one has wartime cushions as Ian's one has (MX-41AR), as opposed to the one pictured those are more than likely just postwar (MC-162A).

[Tom E. Gunn]

So where would you place these M-301s Nige? I've always considered them to be late to post-war. They're effectively just like the "donut" cushions found in USAAF flight helmets from '43 on. Thanks!

[Nige1940]

So where would you place these M-301s Nige? I've always considered them to be late to post-war. They're effectively just like the "donut" cushions found in USAAF flight helmets from '43 on. Thanks!

The M301 I think are also just post war they're exactly like Harvard ear cups as you say on the A-11 etc...  the key is ,and I'm simply making an educated guess Here Ian is the M301 nomenclature , the reason I say is this...
When I used to collect jet age U.S. Navy flight helmets the inner helmet for the H-4 was basically a nylon AN-H-15 with straps added (almost identical to the late war USN "green Nylon" helmet .
I had two examples, both with the M301 marking on the cups, that's not to say they didn't exist wartime because the green nylon helmets certainly did and were worn in the closing months, but would be very late I think ?
anyone else got concrete info on these ?